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AFC West players in danger of the bust label

By Sayre Bedinger

SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 19: Paxton Lynch #12 of the Denver Broncos walks on to the field for their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 19: Paxton Lynch #12 of the Denver Broncos walks on to the field for their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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It’s time for these AFC West players to start making plays, or time will run out. Looking at players from the Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, and Raiders…

SANTA CLARA, CA – AUGUST 19: Paxton Lynch #12 of the Denver Broncos walks on to the field for their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – AUGUST 19: Paxton Lynch #12 of the Denver Broncos walks on to the field for their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

The NFL is definitely a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ league. For some players in the AFC West, it’s time to start making plays, or their time will run out.

Let’s take a look at four players in one of the most competitive divisions in football who need to step up quickly…

Denver Broncos: Paxton Lynch, QB

The Denver Broncos invested heavily in quarterback Paxton Lynch.

After winning Super Bowl 50, the Broncos traded up a few spots (giving up a third-round pick) in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft to land Lynch, out-bidding some other interested parties.

The Broncos brought Lynch in knowing he may take at least a year to develop properly, but that development seemed to be stunted in 2017 when Lynch lost the starting job to Trevor Siemian for a second consecutive year and missed nearly the entire season due to injury on top of it.

Because of Lynch’s injury last season, it’s very difficult to label him a ‘bust’ already, but some Broncos fans have already decided his fate in that regard.

Lynch was given a major vote of confidence this offseason by the Broncos’ front office when the team elected to pass on quarterbacks throughout the 2018 NFL Draft.

The brain trust that drafted Lynch (John Elway, Matt Russell, and Gary Kubiak) are all still with the Broncos though Kubiak is no longer the head coach.

Since that’s the case, it makes sense that Lynch is being given the length of his rookie contract to prove he’s showing some signs of development. The Broncos have seen flashes, but consistency has not been there for the former Memphis star.

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